I cannot give this place up. Look at me, back here after months of absence. It's like a guilty pleasure. I don't even know who I'm reaching anymore, but heck, I do love journalling...even if it is months after the event.
So back in May I took part in my second show with The Met, '9 To 5'. Yes, as in Dolly Parton.
I didn't know anything about the show when I went to the information night and as I'm not a huge country music fan, I was a little dubious. Listening to the director talk about the show and the characters, I was caught up in the excitement and, listening to the song for the character I thought I could play......I was even more convinced.
I didn't get the part I wanted, but I did get my second choice, the office lush, Margaret.
That's me, the fat chick on the left in the wig......
This role was so much fun. I got to choose the wildest 70s clothes I could find, that Margaret may have put on blindly in a 'morning after haze'. Check out my faaabulous green eyeshadow while you're there......
This photo disturbed me when I saw my double chin but, you know what? We are what we are nowadays! I even got to play with a real typewriter! What a flashback......
The fantasy dream sequences saw us 'dancing' like complete twits.......
And I got to 'emote' furiously in the background whilst having minimal lines to remember. WIN!
I loved playing around with attention to detail. A number of people said "Do you know you've got your buttons done up wrong..." until they looked me in the eye and went.."Oh, right....On purpose...I get it"
Here's a bit more 'emoting'.....
As a bonus, I got to play the cleaner in the hospital scene.
Knowing she had to cover a complicated scene change at the end, the director asked me to mop the stage back and forwards until the office had been set up again. After all, there are cleaners at hospitals AND offices....
My wicked heart leapt at the idea of being alone onstage with a mop...with no direction....haha!
The possibilities...heh heh hehh....
Until the director said..."oh, Arizaphale, while you're there, do something funny..."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THE PRESSURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To my delight (and surprise), I got applause each night.
I didn't actually do that much, so I guess I must just look funny.
Either that or some audiences are easily pleased.....
:-D
I actually think I was channeling my grandmother in this scene.
That's her in the middle. What do you think?
But all this unattractiveness was ok because at the end of the show I got to 'go to rehab' and come back on..almost unrecognisable!
(This was dress rehearsal and I eventually got my own hair to behave a bit better by wearing a wig cap under the hideous wig....but I'm sure you get the idea.)
To my astonishment, I usually got a round of applause for this transformation too!
Audiences here are too kind......
I had such a lot of fun on this production. I remember standing in the wings during the opening to the final show and offering up a silent prayer of thanks for, the opportunity to do, this thing I love. I also made the decision, at the 'after party', to finally, after all these years, take singing lessons; a journey which is bringing both grief and joy and tearing away a whole bunch of preconceptions and inhibitions.....
Buoyed by this experience I auditioned for a role in the next production, 'Bye Bye Birdie'. I didn't get it, which in years gone by would have totally destroyed me, but, I am a wiser girl who actually trusts God to put me 'where I need to be' nowadays. I have a lot of stuff going on at work at the moment. There are opportunities for change which could have a far reaching positive impact on my ministry to children with Learning Disabilities. Additionally, I needed a rest. Sitting here now, 5 months later, I can breathe a sigh of relief that I am not currently in the frantic lead up to production that would rob me of my upcoming holidays and the clear mind needed to consider a plan of action for systemic change.
I have signed up for the SALOS Christmas concert however! Low stress, a bit of fun and an outlet for the creative show off in my soul..
I'll hopefully see you sooner rather than later folks!
